Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 10 By David Lee
Warning: This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction. Much of this involves males with other males. If the reading or possessing of such material as this is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so. It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.
The author retains all rights to this original story. Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me.
Disclaimer: This story is completely fictional. Most of the places mentioned, and none of the characters exist in real life. Some may possess physical or personality characteristics of people I know or have known. But if you see yourself in this story, your imagination is better than mine!
"Tales from Bentonville" is a romantic story centering on the lives of high school kids. Lovers of other ages may appear, but not normally in a cross-generational sense. References to sex with under-age kids may be made for the sake of the story line. However, I feel that child molestation is a crime and should not be glorified or tolerated.
This is my fifth attempt at writing fiction. My other stories on Nifty include: "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004) under High School, "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 23, 2004) under Camping, and "Jacob and Jacques" (May 5, 2004) under High School. Some characters from previous stories may have cameo roles in this one. However, you need not read them first.
Our only reward for contributing to Nifty is your e-mails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the title of your e-mail. I get a lot of spam!
Finally, thanks and hugs to Tim who edits for me so that there are fewer typos!
dlee169@hotmail.com
Tales from Bentonville, Chapter
Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 10
When DJ and Ellen returned from Minnesota, DJ was wearing his new lower limb. He used one crutch to steady himself, but he was determined that he would graduate to a cane soon and give that up as well. He had decided to enlist the aid of his son and nephew in his therapy. It would be a way to let them help as well as to give him the incentive to keep going.
On the following Monday, the three of them drove into Cosgrove to the MAC (Midwest Athletic Club). Dane got to drive all of the way -- even in the traffic that was heavier than any he had encountered.
DJ signed up for a trial family membership plus some hours for a personal trainer. Since they had all brought gym clothes and locks, they could begin immediately. Only one trainer was available, so the boys insisted that DJ use the trainer while they worked with each other on the equipment that they knew how to use because it was similar to what they had at school.
It was an intense workout for DJ. His muscles had weakened from inactivity.
At the end of an hour, he felt tired, but good. He was not yet emotionally ready to remove his prosthetic lower leg to get into the Jacuzzi, but he did think some time in the steam room would be great.
Since this club had separate facilities for men and women, most guys either went naked or wrapped a towel around them to use the steam room or sauna. Dane and Colt were hesitant to go in nude, but DJ pointed out that their towels would get pretty wet from the steam. So, all three went into the dim, hazy room naked.
Because there weren't many guys in the place, the boys didn't feel as self-conscious. DJ's easy going attitude helped them to relax. They tried to keep their eyes forward, but everyone ended up checking each other out. Most guys do.
DJ was impressed with how his "little boy" and Colton were developing. He wondered if the girls would appreciate it. Given the way his son looked at Colton when he thought no one was watching, DJ bet that the girls would never get the chance to find out about either of them. He sighed remembering Barry Wilson. If a gay guy ever made sainthood, Barry would be it.
After they had showered and dressed, Colt got to drive back to Bentonville. He was completely focused on his job. He wanted to impress his uncle and Dane. He succeeded.
The trips to the health club went along well for a couple of weeks. DJ was gaining strength by the day. His walking was getting better to the point that he could maneuver around the house without his cane.
Then, the schedule had to be changed. DJ got hired at Rockwell. He would be working under a man named Craig Adams who had been in the military too. Craig and DJ took an immediate liking to each other. It was as if they had been friends for years. DJ was more certain than ever that this was the right move. He phoned his old workplace in Illinois to say that he would not be returning.
The boys' schedule also changed. They had the chance to pick up some pretty good spending money by hiring on to de-tassel corn with a crew of other high school kids. It was hot, tiring work, but this was about the only job available for non-farm kids in a small rural community. There weren't enough stores with much demand for sackers or gofers. They were happy to feel like they were pulling their own weight financially.
After DJ and the boys began working, they would go to the gym in the evening. It was busier then and there were more naked bodies in the locker room and steam room. Colt and Dane did their share of looking, but they drew lots of attention too. They both tended to hang nicely even when soft, so that made them stand out even in a room full of adult males. Dane's being uncut made him the object of more than one curious glance and a few leers. DJ stood out even more than either of the boys as his body began to become sculpted and honed once more.
One evening, he went alone to exercise after work. The boys were on a three-day scouting trip, so he saw no reason to make the drive to Cosgrove twice in the same day. As he was getting close to the end of his workout routine, he noticed that another guy was eyeing him from across the room. Pretty soon, the young man was exercising next to him. Each time DJ moved to another piece of equipment, the other man moved to one that was close.
In the locker room, DJ stripped naked and walked steadily and proudly into the steam room. Within a couple of minutes, the young guy who had been shadowing him during the latter part of the evening came in too.
"Hi, my name is Trey. I haven't seen you here before. I'm sure I would have remembered a great body like yours."
DJ shook the offered hand.
"I'm DJ; I usually come at a different time."
DJ was quite aware that Trey's dick was slightly chubbed-up as the young man stood in front of him.
They talked for awhile about various things. When DJ went to leave, Trey followed him, brushing by him so that their bodies touched ever so slightly.
DJ could feel the sexual tension in the air. As he got into his shower, he noticed that Trey chose the one across from his and left the shower curtain slightly open. DJ did the same, though he wasn't sure why.
Trey turned his back to DJ as he shampooed his hair and rinsed. Then he turned around to soap his body spending lots of time on his dick. He pumped it up to a full hard-on. DJ watched the show. He hadn't jacked off with another guy since he was about 13. Trey smiled and pumped harder. With a gasp, Trey let loose a torrent of cum. After watching that load, DJ turned away from Trey's gaze and wrapped his fist around his own cock. After a few pumps, he blew a serious load on the tiled wall. Afterward, he felt kind of strange about doing it. He wondered how he would perform in bed that night.
When DJ got home, Greta was making dinner for the two of them. Ellen wasn't feeling well and didn't want to be around food that night. DJ would have plenty of time to reload his "weapon" before it got used again.
The camping and canoeing trip with the scouts began as a fun adventure. Colt was pleased that he and Trent were on pretty good terms again. Since the number of scouts was uneven, Trent, Colton, and Dane shared a three-man tent that wasn't really big enough for three. So, Dane suggested that they could put his over-sized sleeping bag down to nearly cover the floor and use the other two bags over them. He and Colt could share Colt's as a blanket and Trent could have his own. They all agreed that it made sense. Greta had sent along a queen-size flat sheet to use if they didn't need the warmth of a sleeping bag.
What Dane was really looking for was a way to snuggle against Colt without attracting attention. Trent didn't seem to be suspicious!
Sometime during the first night, Colt had one of his nightmares. He awakened crying. Dane held him and comforted him as always. In his groggy half-asleep condition, forgot that they were not alone.
"It's okay, Baby, I'm here. No one is gonna hurt you. I'll keep you safe. I love you..."
Trent was not awake enough to make much sense out of what was happening. He fell back quickly into a deep sleep. Colt snuggled into the safety of Dane's strong embrace.
In the pale light of early morning, Trent felt the insistent urge to piss. He slipped out of the tent quietly to relieve himself at a nearby tree. Upon entering the tent, he saw his two companions for the first time that day. Dane was holding Colton in his arms. There was no mistaking that. Somewhere in his sub-conscious mind, Trent could hear the words Dane had spoken in the night. Wow, could it be that Colton was into guys? Trent pulled up his sleeping bag and went back to sleep wondering how he could find out for sure.
The next time that Trent awakened, he found that Dane and Colton were up and dressed. He had to hurry to get ready to eat with the rest of the troop. There wasn't time to think about what he had heard in the night.
Dane had clean-up duties after breakfast, so that left Colton and Trent to strike the tent and get their gear in order. As they were doing this, a struggle was going on in Trent's head. A part of him wanted to take his suspicions and use them to get revenge for all of the grief that Colton had put him through in the past year. Another part of him felt like that would be wrong. He was torn.
"It must be handy to be living with your boyfriend so you can make love every night," Trent said in a quiet voice.
Colt stiffened, but didn't respond. His reaction told Trent that he was on the right track.
"To think, all the time you were being an asshole to me; you were being a hypocrite - which is worse. You made me feel like shit while you were doing the things you accused me of doing," Trent continued at a higher volume.
"It's not like that," Colton said shaking his head. "Please keep your voice down. Please don't out me."
"What's it worth to you to buy my silence? You obviously like cock. Do you want to suck mine tonight? I am feeling really horny."
"I can't do that; I'm saving myself for someone else."
"Yeah, it's not hard to guess who that is. What would you do to protect Dane?"
"I'd do anything I had to, I guess." Colt responded as his shoulders sagged.
"Colt doesn't have to do anything to protect me. I'm not afraid to come out to the whole world and face it if it comes to that!" announced Dane who had overheard enough of the conversation to get the gist of it. "Colt and I will not be blackmailed by you or anyone else."
"Hey, I didn't say he HAD to suck my cock; I just asked what he might be willing to do to save your ass," Trent replied.
Dane was ready to punch Trent out, but Colton held him back.
"Look, the three of us have to share a canoe and a tent for the next few days. We have to find a way to get along. I don't blame Trent for hating me for what I did to him. I already asked for his forgiveness and thought that I had it. If he wants me to pay for what I did, I will agree to some things, but I won't do anything to mess up my relationship with you."
Later in the canoe, there was mostly silence. Dane was in front with one oar and Colton was in back with the other. Trent sat brooding in the middle wrestling with his conscience. What conversation there was, had to do with avoiding rocks and tree branches. There was none of the usual camaraderie. Colt felt miserable. Every so often, a hot tear would escape from one or the other of his eyes.
The whole group of scouts beached their canoes on a sandbar when noon rolled around. The sandwiches, chips, and fruit tasted good and were put away inside of boys about as fast as they were taken out of coolers and bags. Some of the guys stretched out in the sun to ease their muscles. Others waded in the water looking at the fish that darted by in the clear water. Trent went up to the scoutmaster and began a conversation.
"I've got to tell you about my two canoe-mates."
Dane's heart sank. He could see the fear in Colt's eyes as well. They were sure that this was the moment they had dreaded. Oh well, it might be better to be done with it.
"Oh?" said Mr. Simmons.
"Yeah, they are, - - - uh, really awesome at canoeing. I'm really impressed with how Dane can spot the deepest part of the river and miss the boulders. He says he had only done this once before."
"That's great! Let's hope you do as well when it's your turn to be in front."
Dane and Colton breathed a collective sigh of relief.
For the next leg of the journey, Trent had the front spot and Dane the rear.
Colton was seated in the middle. When they were out of earshot of the other boys, Colton spoke to Trent.
"What happened back there? I thought that you were going to tell everyone about us."
"I was going to. A part of me wanted to hurt you big-time."
"Why didn't you?"
"Two things stopped me, maybe three. Dane has been my good friend this year at school when you were being a jerk, and I couldn't do that to him. Then I remembered what Mindy did to her brother and mine and how she regretted it. I couldn't live with that either. And, I guess that I still remember all the good times that you and I had together before you acted like a shit-head."
"You'd better tell him everything," Dane said to Colton.
Colt quietly told Trent how he had had a crush on him and had been afraid that he might do something stupid unless he alienated Trent. He reminded Trent about how homophobic Trent's dad and Robert were and how fearful he was of getting beaten if the truth came out. He insisted that he didn't feel any lust for Trent since he had fallen in love with Dane.
Trent seemed to understand where Colt was coming from. He seemed to be relieved after hearing the rest of the reasons behind Colton's actions. Robert had been intent on beating Colton at the slightest provocation according to what had been told around town in recent months. It was a lot to think about.
After that, the mood in the canoe lightened though the boys were still quiet. Each seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
Before the evening meal, Trent had KP duty. As soon as the tent was up, Colton and Dane volunteered to help him so that he wouldn't have to do so much. They worked in companionable silence; there was no longer any animosity in the air.
When they eventually retired to their tent as darkness came, Trent thanked them for their help before supper and for their understanding. He was unusually quiet for awhile and the other boys thought that he might have fallen asleep. They were about to do some making out, but his deep sigh let them know he was still awake.
"What's the matter?" Colt asked.
"I can't sleep. I keep thinking about today." Trent whispered. "I saw a part of me that I don't like. I wanted revenge; I almost did something evil. I liked the idea of you on your knees in front of me. I felt like I would have power over you; like I could force you to do something embarrassing to make up for what you did to me. You would be at my mercy."
Dane spoke up.
"I read something on the `net that said the guy doing the sucking has the power over the other guy. The sucker has control over the other guy's feelings. He really has him by the balls."
"Whatever," said Trent. "I kinda wish you had hit me when I said that stuff this morning. I think I would feel better if someone had punished me for the way I was acting. I'm sorry guys. I can't believe that you guys helped me after what I nearly did to you."
"Hey, you DIDN'T do it," Dane responded. "That's the main thing. You did what was right. We appreciate it. Besides, Colt is still trying to make up for last year."
"Colton, you don't owe me. I was being a jerk. I was feeling sorry for myself. You had your reasons for pushing me away. I think that I understand them now. Robert would have killed you. I just wish you hadn't tried to make me look gay. But I think you've changed and I love you for it."
"How much do you love me?" Colt asked with a giggle.
"Well, not enough to do to you what I was suggesting that you could do to me." Trent snickered.
Then his mood turned serious again.
"I really am sorry. I don't want to do anything to come between you guys. You have something special that I hope I have someday -- maybe with Sara."
Dane could hear the emotion is Trent's voice, so he decided it was a good time to try to formally patch things up among them.
"Let's forget all of this and start over. We have a lot in common. We could become like the Three Musketeers if you want. You have been my good friend from day-one at school this year. Colt has become my soul-mate. I don't want any walls between any of us."
Colton sat up and the others followed his example. He offered his hand to Trent who took it and then pulled Colt into an embrace. Dane put his arms around the other two. Each could feel the splash of the other's tears. A new stronger bond was being formed.
"You guys can feel free to snuggle and make out or whatever in front of me. I might be a little envious, but I won't make fun of you and I won't tell," Trent offered.
"Do you think it would be too gay if we all snuggled like you and I used to?" Colton asked.
"Not if you keep your hands above my waist," Trent countered.
The air was cooling rapidly that night and the presence of a warm body against his back was not unwelcome to Trent. Having Colton cuddled against him took him back to their childhood. The three lay spoon-fashion as they went to sleep. Several times in the night they shifted positions. In the morning, they were facing the opposite way with Trent cuddled up to Colt's back.
Trent awakened happier than he had in several days. Things really were right between Colton and him again. He found that he was not offended by the idea of holding his buddy. His left hand was resting at the waistband of Colt's under-shorts. He wondered what it would be like to move that hand further down and feel the swelling of Colton's morning erection. He listened carefully to Colt's even breathing before allowing his hand to stray.
The package Colt was sporting impressed Trent. He nearly gasped as he felt the contours beneath the thin cotton briefs. Colt was having a hard time keeping his breathing regular. He and Dane had been faking sleep for the past 10 minutes. His hand was inside of Dane's underwear enjoying the feeling of the hot sausage trapped there. Dane had been stifling his moans of pleasure as Colton stroked him ever so slightly.
At Colt's sharp intake of breath, Trent quickly withdrew his hand and turned on his back. His heart was racing a mile a minute.
"Are you awake?" he whispered hoping for no answer.
"Yup," came the answer from both of his tent-mates.
"Uh, I'm sorry."
"No problem," Colton responded. "There don't need to be any secrets between good friends, though I might call you a hypocrite."
"I really am sorry; I don't know why I did that."
"Hey, you're curious like anyone else," Colt responded. "No foul."
The boys got up to take their morning piss and to wash up before breakfast. All three shared a tree away from the campsite. All three checked each other out while emptying their bladders.
After they had eaten and washed their utensils, they packed up again for the last full day on the river.
Unlike the previous days, the canoe bearing the three guys was filled with laughter and some horsing around. Don Simmons smiled as he witnessed the scene. He was aware that something had changed between the boys. He knew that outings like this often led to bonding between young males that lasted a lifetime. His instincts told him that it sometimes had to do with sharing things that they didn't ordinarily share in a more "civilized" setting.
On the last night of camping out, the boys stayed up later than usual. Since they were at the "modern" campsite where their vehicles were parked, they could sleep in longer and enjoy a warm shower in the morning.
They all sat around the campfire making s'mores and telling stories. The older kids tended to tell ghost stories or gory tales to upset the younger ones, but no one really took any of it seriously. There weren't any really young kids on this trip anyway.
When they finally got into their tent, Dane and Colt shed all of their clothes and pulled the sheet over them. It was too dark for Trent to see what they had done. He stripped down to his underwear and got under the sheet too. Moments later, he was grabbed by the other two who relieved him of his last remaining garment despite his struggling.
"Okay," Colton whispered. "You were curious this morning and so were we. Now we are all going to find out."
With that, he turned on a small flashlight and pulled back the sheet. His light illuminated three very respectable hardons. While Trent was not as well endowed as his buddies, his dick was very cute. No one tried to cover up.
"Remember some of the circle jerks we used to do?" Colt continued. "Well, we are going to try a new trick tonight. Dane is concerned that I will always think that I missed a chance with you. He said that we should all stroke each other. We'll get into a circle and use our right hand on the guy next to us until someone says to change. Then we will use our left hand on the other guy. That way, we all have an equal chance to feel each other."
They sat in a triangular arrangement with their knees touching. Trent was about to say that he didn't want to participate in guy-sex when he felt Colt's right hand on his dick. His moan of pleasure belied any words he might have said about opting out of the game.
The other two were beginning to feel the tingle building in their loins. It was exciting to be doing something that was "forbidden" in many people's minds. Dane felt like he was getting close and he hadn't yet held Trent's cock, so he called for them to change.
It was awesome to feel a different hand on one's tool. Different guys have different techniques, so a boy couldn't anticipate just what was going to happen. Colt began to whimper softly. Dane used his free hand to feel Colt's closest nipple. Colton, in turn, did the same to Trent who initially flinched, but enjoyed the sensation enough to pass it along to Dane.
Fortunately, Dane had put his discarded underwear in the middle of them to keep any excess cum off of the sleeping bag. Trent shot first followed almost simultaneously by the other two. The initial blasts landed on the chest and abs of all three. They spread the "cream" on each other and themselves. Then they lay on their backs while the residue of their loving dried. No one made any move to wipe it off.
"Now we are closer than blood-brothers," Colt whispered. "We are cum-brothers!"
They all giggled at his comment.
"Are we going to cuddle?" Trent asked timidly.
(He wondered if they would think he was gay for asking. He knew for sure that he wanted Sara in his life, but at the moment he was enjoying the closeness of his best friends. He could imagine the veins standing out on his father's face if the man every got wind of this.)
"You bet!" Dane responded.
The three of them spooned together like the night before ending up in a tangle of arms and legs; this time without the barrier of underwear.
Trent awakened early and threw on his briefs to get out of the tent to relieve his bladder. When he returned, the other two were rousing. Having been in the fresh air, he was aware that the tent had the distinctive aroma of cum about it.
"Wanna go hose off the crust before the other guys wake up?" Trent asked.
"Sounds like a plan," Dane responded.
The guys gathered their toiletries, towels, and clean underwear to head for the showers. Of course, Dane and Colt put on some shorts to cover their nakedness since it was a public campground.
As they were soaping up, Trent brought up the activities of the night before. He was glad that they had gotten to know each other that well. He felt like that they had bonded more than most guys ever would. He was happy that they had done it together once, but wouldn't feel comfortable repeating the sex part. He would, however, welcome cuddling together sleeping. He found bodily contact to be great. He cared for both of them very much.
Colt got a serious look on his face.
"What made you think we would do it with you again? Just because we are gay, doesn't mean that we get it on with other guys all of the time. We aren't sluts!"
"Damn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. Please don't be mad."
Colt burst out laughing. Trent, realizing that he had been had, gave Colton a big, wet slap on the butt. It actually made a red mark.
Mr. Simmons, who came in just then to take his shower before the place got crowded, heard the slap. He saw the guys laughing and also the evidence that it was Colton's butt that had been smacked.
"What are you two doing to this poor guy?"
"Well, he was being a bad monkey and Trent had to spank him," said Dane figuring that Simmons wouldn't get the double entendre.
Simmons didn't miss a beat. He smiled as he responded:
"Lucky you aren't a chicken - or they would have choked you."
For a split second, the boys' eyes widened with surprise. Then they all laughed until they nearly fell on the floor. Evidently their scoutmaster wasn't born yesterday.
Author's note: I heard from a lot of you this past week. These include the following: Rad, Joe, Paul, Allen, Jim C., Phillip, R.C., Bob (of Bob and Walt), Kevin W., Donna, Jerry, Terry V., Jon, Tom H., Ron, John L., and Kevin K. I sincerely hope that I didn't miss anyone!
Jim C. forwarded the following message to me. It's probably too late to use the AFA group to send you e-mail. However, you can write to Walgreen's and thank them for their support of the Gay Games. They are taking a lot of heat from the AFA. The CEO of Walgreen's (Dave Bernauer) can be reached at the address at ceo@walgreens.com
Hugs, David
Dear friends; Wanna have some fun at the expense of those bigots at the American Family Association? They are going after Walgreens Drug store, which has chosen to give $100,000.00 to the Gay Games VI in Chicago. So follow the directions below and cut/copy and paste the letter into the AFA's letter. They have a sample letter to Walgreen's lambasting them, but when you highlight their's and paste your letter into the form, suddenly there is a letter of support going to Walgreens, thanking them for their efforts. So, have fun at AFA's expense. Pass this along to everyone you know, now! Many of you might remember how last year, their efforts backfired on another letter writing campaign. --------------------------------
The original forward asks you to go to this address:
http://www.afa.net/Petitions/TakeAction.asp?id=157
, and then cut 'n' paste the following letter where their hateful spiel is now ... and Whala! A POSITIVE, PRO-GAY GAMES LETTER TO WALGREENS FROM THE AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION!
Do it tonight and they won't be able to screen out the pro letters ...
-d
Here's the new letter, or enter your own:
Dear Chairman Bernauer,
I am delighted to learn Walgreen's has given a huge financial endorsement to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago, and I applaud your support and encourage you to redouble your efforts to support this important boost to the self-esteem and healthy life-styles of millions of gay and lesbian American citizens..
You say it was given in the name of HIV and AIDS awareness. I think that's FABULOUS!
Your donation could not have better served than as supporting an event that encourages healthy, safe, and genuine expressions of human empathy and compassion?
I believe Walgreen's has made a terrific decision.
There are other pharmacies that I can choose to do business with, but, knowing that their profits won't go to the promotion and support of the gay games, I will choose Walgreen's every time in the future..
I implore you to extend your company's sponsorship of the Gay Games.
Kris Landheer's letter explaining the situation is here:
Kris Landherr = Enemy of The Religious Righteous Dear Friends
This time it's personal!
It seems that my image is being used in a campaign by the American Family Association in a call to boycott Walgreens for their sponsorship of the 2006 Chicago Gay Games. The photo they use is one of me following my winning a bronze medal in wrestling at the 2002 Sydney Games and is described as 'EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE' though I'm sure you would agree that it is actually quite tasteful. You can see their pathetic plea at http://www.afa.net/walgreens-gaygames.asp (Be sure to click on the link so you can see my pic).
I encourage you to write to Walgreen's Chairman David W. Bernauer, President Jeffrey Rein, and Vice-President of Marketing, George J. Riedl asking them to stay the course in their support of the Chicago Games. The Games are a healthy gathering of Gay and Lesbian athletes who provide very positive role models for gay youth by showing them that the queer lifestyle does not have to center around hanging out in bars and nightclubs or buying into stereotypes thrust upon them. I am working on getting their e-mail addresses and will be forwarding them later.
There is a part of me that is proud that I'm pissing off the Religious Righteous but I am also offended that they are using my image to attempt to spread hatred and intolerance. If you would also drop them a note letting them know that their point of view is not shared by you or a vast number of Americans I would personally appreciate it. You have to go to www.afa.net to contact them as they are not brave enough to give an e-mail addy for direct correspondence. I guess because of fears that someone like me would try to crash their server.
So many of you have supported my work in not only within the gay communities as well as the music scene but also but also in other more mainstream community affairs. I am grateful for this. I hope that you can help me to keep on fighting to make the world a more accepting and welcoming place.
Sincerely, Kris Landherr Activist, Musician, Ordained Minister, and Producer www.krislandherr.com